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Probiotics are living microorganisms (bacteria). Holistic vets have been using probiotics in their practices for decades, but traditional veterinarians have been slower to embrace them. Fortunately, that is changing.

While the traditional veterinary community considers the benefits of probiotics in treating specific diseases to be “promising but preliminary,” almost everyone now agrees probiotic supplementation improves GI health and immune system function.

Human medicine studies indicate probiotics may be beneficial in a wide variety of disorders, from improving glucose intolerance to fighting cavities in children. Probiotic supplementation in pets has showed benefits for allergic dogs, puppies, and in reducing cholesterol levels and the levels of fecal bacteria in dogs.

The current working theory for how probiotics provide health benefits is that when friendly bacteria is introduced into the gut, its presence discourages overgrowth of unfriendly bacteria.

In Dr. Becker’s experience, almost every pet dog and cat today can benefit from occasional or regular probiotic supplementation to help their bodies deal with potential GI stressors.

Probiotics: Even Your Traditional Vet May Now Recommend This Pet Supplement

May 22, 2013|45,207views

Probiotics are living microorganisms or gut friendly bacteria. They were discovered in the early 1900’s by Russian Nobel Laureate Elie Metchnikoff. Metchnikoff became aware that people living in rural areas who consumed fermented milk on a regular basis lived long lives, and he attributed it to the Lactobacillus organism found in milk. Metchnikoff began advising people to use fermented milk to decrease pH levels in the GI tract and suppress growth of harmful gut bacteria.

Holistic vets have been recommending probiotics for pets for decades, but the good news is that traditional veterinarians are becoming more aware of their benefits as well, and many DVMs now routinely recommend probiotic supplementation for patients with diarrhea, and those receiving antibiotic therapy.

Probiotics Are Proving Beneficial in a Wide Variety of Diseases and Disorders

According to Dr. Marcella Ridgway, writing for Clinician’s Brief, “Initial investigation of clinical efficacy of probiotic use in disease prevention and treatment in veterinary medicine is promising but preliminary.”

While there isn’t sufficient evidence yet to formally support specific health claims for probiotics, pretty much everyone now agrees they improve GI health and immune system function. And a growing body of research suggests probiotics can have therapeutic benefits for a wide range of health conditions, including chronic GI malfunction, allergies, diabetes, obesity, liver disease, and mood and behavior disorders.

Human studies suggest that probiotics may:

Improve glucose tolerance

Improve outcomes in ICU patients

Support weight loss efforts

Reduce inflammation

Alleviate the occurrence or symptoms of atopic dermatitis

Relieve diarrhea as a symptom of certain disorders

Provide benefits to people with liver disease

Decrease respiratory infections in children in daycare settings

Improve symptom management in inflammatory bowel disease

Reduce cavities in children and the incidence of severe gum disease in adults

Decrease lipid levels in people with high cholesterol

In studies of dogs and cats with acute or chronic unexplained diarrhea and dogs with diet-related diarrhea, probiotic supplementation had the following non diarrhea-related benefits:

Reduced inflammation levels in allergic dogs

Improved vaccine response and growth rates in puppies

Lowered cholesterol in healthy dogs and those with intestinal disease

Reduced levels of certain fecal bacteria in dogs

Reduced the incidence of feline herpes (FHV-1) infections

Studies also suggest there are no side effects of probiotic therapy, and that supplementation is safe and easy to administer in pets.

How Probiotics Work

The exact mechanism by which probiotics work in the GI tract is as yet unknown, but the most common working theory is that friendly bacteria establishes itself in the gut, and its presence discourages proliferation of pathogenic (unfriendly) bacteria.

Dr. Ridgeway provides an expanded explanation:

“Gut bacteria serve many functions, including food product fermentation, digestion and nutrient absorption, vitamin synthesis, drug metabolism, interaction with cells for gut development and function, and host immune system modulation.

“Probiotics may benefit affected individuals by acting at one or more points to initiate, enhance, or restore function to evoke a positive health effect.”

Selecting the specific probiotic strains to include in a veterinary supplement is currently based primarily on the strains that hold up best during product processing and are also able to effectively colonize the gut.

Going forward, research should evaluate particular strains for specific health benefits. Good candidates include strains that are derived from the species for which the probiotic is intended; are able to remain viable through product processing and storage; can survive the environment of the GI tract, including the presence of gastric acid and bile; and can adhere to and inhabit gut tissue. Of course, these strains also must be nonpathogenic and have health benefits for the animal.

I’m hopeful future evidence-based studies will reveal many more suitable probiotic strains, proper dosing levels, and the effectiveness of supplementation in a wide variety of canine and feline disorders.

How Do I Know If My Pet Needs a Probiotic Supplement?

The health of an animal’s GI tract can be easily compromised by everything from emotional stress to unhealthy lifestyle choices he has no control over.

As an example, veterinary antibiotics and corticosteroids are overprescribed, and both types of drugs can decimate the helpful bacteria in your pet’s gut. Other stressors that can open the door for pathogenic bacteria to overwhelm the good bugs include a sudden change in diet for a pet that’s been eating the same food every day for months or years; a poor quality, biologically inappropriate diet; eating non-food items like poop, grass or rocks; drinking unclean water; ingestion of toxins; vaccinations; boarding; travel; GI disease and surgery.

When GI stressors throw the balance of good-to-bad gut bacteria out of whack, it can create a cascade of nutritional and other health problems. It also opens the door to leaky gut syndrome (dysbiosis), which means your dog or cat is absorbing partially digested amino acids and allergens into the bloodstream. This can trigger a wide range of additional health problems, from allergies to autoimmune disease.

In my experience, almost every dog and cat today can benefit from probiotic supplementation.

HEALTHY PETS DISCLAIMER: This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace
the advice of your own veterinarian or doctor. Dr. Karen Becker cannot answer specific
questions about your pet's medical issues or make medical recommendations for your
pet without first establishing a veterinarian-client-patient relationship. Your
pet's medical protocol should be given by your holistic veterinarian.